Weekly television digest (Jan-Dec 1963)

NEW SERIES VOL. 3, No. 19 TELEVISION DIGEST— 7 • • MANUFACTURING, DISTRIBUTION, FINANCE COLOR SETS POSE NO SERVICE PROBLEM: Most owners ore satisfied with ease of tuning and repair costs of their color sets. Dealers' attitudes, too, hove changed, and most of them are optimistic about color. These were highlights of report by Sylvania Market Research Dir. Frank W. Mansfield on 3-month national survey of color owners & dealers, as presented to NATESA regional directors' meeting at week's end in Kansas City. Average color repair bill is $30.50 a year, Mansfield said, reporting on sets in use at least 2 years and not covered by service contracts. About 40% of owners said cost of their color set repairs was no more than they had experienced with black-&-white sets, and 22% couldn't even remember repair costs of preceding 12 months. (We recently queried manufacturers about average repair costs for black-&-white sets; repUes varied from $8.15 to $25 a year.) "About 70% of the dealers surveyed," said Mansfield, "indicated that their customers had little or no trouble with color repairs and set owners themselves generally were not critical of tuning problems previously associated with color sets." He found that 37% of owners said they used their sets more than 6 hours daily. "Captive service on color sets," survey showed, "is considerably less today than it was in the early days of b&w TV. A large majority of the dealers contacted reported that color service contracts ore optional with the consumer." Color service business, Mansfield told the service technicians," represents bonus business to the service industry." Interesting counterpoint to Sylvania survey was statement by RCA group exec, vp Charles M. Odorizzi at last week's stockholders meeting that this year RCA Service Co.'s revenue from installation & service of color TV "could surpass revenue on b&w sets" (see p. 10). Mansfield's bullish report on color is particularly noteworthy considering the source; Sylvania in recent years has been anything but a flag-wover for color. FEW WARRANTY CHANGES EXPECTED THIS YEAR: While battle continues over labor warranties and extended parts warranties, there seems to be Uttle prospect of any major defections by either camp when new lines ore announced. Standard EIA warranties (one year on picture tube and 90 days on receiving tubes & parts for black-&-white, one year on all tubes & ports for color) is being followed by these major manufacturers: Emerson & Du Mont, Olympic, Packard Bell, RCA, Zenith. Admiral also follows standard warranty, except that it guarantees etched circuit boards for 5 years (parts only). GE, which has adhered to standard warranty, has not disclosed whether its program will be changed. Extra warranties by other manufacturers are subject to considerable variations, and there are no indications any changes are contemplated. Magnovox has 3 warranties — "Gold Seal" on all 24 & 27-in. models providing 3 years on picture tube (prorated after one year), one year on other ports & tubes, including labor; "Silver Seal" (middle price range sets) providing one year on picture tube & parts, 90 days labor (carry-in service on portables); other Magnovox sets have one year on picture tube & parts, no labor. Magnavox last week announced new color set warranty which adds 90 days free service to regular one-year tube & parts warranty. Motorola's warranty, expected to remain in effect with new line, provides full-year parts replacement, no labor, Philco has standard parts warranty for black-&-white sets but adds 90 days labor warranty; its color warranty is standard. Westinghouse continues 90-day parts & labor warranty on b&w sets (carry-in